Bridge-clamp.



G. W. ABERNETHY.-

BRIDGE CLAMP.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 27, 1912.

Patented N0v.5, 1912.

7 1M 62 26 J 1 2 J 2 COLEMAN WALLACE ABERNE'IHY, OF PIONEER MILLS, NORTHCAROLINA.

BRIDGE-CLAMP.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 5, 1912.

Application filed June 27, 1912. Serial No. 706,155.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, COLEMAN W. ABER- NETHY, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Pioneer Mills, in the county of Cabarrus and Stateof North Carolina, have invented a new and useful Bridge-Clamp, of whichthe following is a specification.

The device forming thesuhject-matter of this application is adapted tobe employed for connecting the extremities of a bridge with thesupporting piers or pillars, to the end that in time of flood, thebridge may not be washed away.

The object of the present invention is to provide novel means forconnecting a bridge adjustably with a pillar engaging clamp, so thatexpansion and contraction in the bridge may not be interfered with, thebridge, however, being securely assembled with the clamp and with thepillar, so that the bridge can not be washed away. i

With the foregoing and other objects in view, which will appear as thedescription proceeds, the invention resides in the combination andarrangement of part-s and in the details of construction hereinafterdescribed and claimed, it being understood that changes in the preciseembodiment of invention herein disclosed can be made within the scope ofwhat is claimed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the drawings,Figure 1 shows the invention in top plan, parts beingbroken away; Fig. 2 is a side elevation; Fig. 3 is a side elevation, theview point in Fig. 3 being 90 remote from the view point in Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a detail perspective of one of the clamp bars which cooperateto grip the pillar and to hold the bridge thereon; Fig. 5 is aperspective of one of the members which are slidably connected with theclamping frame, to permit the bridge to expand and to contract; Fig. 6is a perspective of one of the spacing plates which are interposed between the connecting bolts of the clamping frame and the pillar; Fig. 7is a perspective of a member which may be employed in the room of thestructure shown in Fig. 4; and Fig. 8 is a detail perspectiveillustrating a slight modification in the clamp bars.

In the accompanying drawings, the numeral 1 indicates the pillar orsub-structure upon which the bridge is supported, and. the numeral 2indicates the shoe which ordinarily receives one of the diagonal strutsand rests upon the pillar 1.

1 plurality of form of bolts 9 are -which project from the plates 16.

The pillar 1 is gripped circumferentially by an adjustable frame, whichframe comterminates in a rectangularly disposed head or flange 5, andeach of the secondary clampbars 4 terminates in a similar head or flange6. In the primary clamp bars 3 there are a openings 7 there beingsimilar openings -8 in the secondary clamp bars 4.

Securing members, preferably taking the engaged with the primary clampbars 3, the bolts 9 passing through openings 10 in the heads 5 of theprimary clamp bars. The bolts 9 are provided with angular extensionsll'which may be engaged, for the purpose of adjustment, in any of theopenings 7 The free, threaded ends of the bolts 9 pass through theextremities of the secondary clamp bars 4, and nuts 12, applied to thethreadedends of the bolts 9, bearagainst the outerfaces ofthe bars 4.Similarly formed bolts 14 engage with the openings 8 of the'secondaryclamp bars 4 and pass through the heads 6 of the secondary clamp bars,the bolts 14. passing through the ends of the primary clamp. bars 3.Nuts 15 are applied to the threaded ends of the bolts 14, the nuts 15bearing against the outer faces of the primary clamp bars 3.

Spacing plates 16 are placed between the heads 6 of the bars 4 and theends of the bars 3. The bolts 14 rest against the plates 16 and aresurrounded closely by eyes 17 Other spacing plates 18are mounted betweenthe heads 5 of the bars 3 and the ends of the bars 4, the plates 18being provided with eyes 19 which surround the bolts 9 closely;

I/Vhen the parts above described are mounted in place around the pillar1, the spacing plates 16 are not in abutment with theheads 6 and withthe ends of the 131 i. mary clamp bars 3. Consequently, when the. nuts15 are rotated, the bolts 14 will draw upon the plates 4, the plates 4engaging the bolts 9'. The plates 3 will, therefore, be drawn towardeach other, so as to clamp the pillar l closely.

The spacing'plates 18, upon the other hand, bear against the heads 5 andagainst the ends of the bars 4, and when thenut's;

12 are rotated, the bars 4 will not'grip the pillar 1, one of the bars4, shown at the left hand end of Fig. 1, being maintained spaced fromthe pillar 1, for a purpose which will be set forth hereinafter. It isto be observed that the bolts 14 are supported by the plates 16, andconsequently, when the nuts 12 are tightened, the angular ends of thebolts 14 will not be pulled out of the openings 8 in the bars 4. Asimilar observation holds true with respect to the plates 18 and thebolts 9. However, it is within the scope of the invention, as shown inFig. 8 to fashion the members 3 and 4, as indicated at 20, there beingin the inner face of each member 20, a longitudinal groove 21, adaptedto receive nuts 22 which are threaded upon the angular ends 23 of thebolts, the grooves 21 permitting the inner faces of each frame-formingmember to fit up closely against the pillar 1. I

The invention further includes a clamp ing member, denoted generally bythe numeral 24 and shown in Fig. 5. In practice, two of the clampingmembers 24 are ordinarily provided. Each clamping member 24 includes anarm 25 provided with an upright flange 26, and an arm 27 provided with ahorizontal flange 28. The arms 25 lie along the top of the pillar 1 andthe arms 27 extend along one side of the pillar, the flanges 28 beingengaged beneath one of the bars 4. Since, as hereinbefore set forth, oneof the bars 4 is spaced apart from the pillar 1, the clamps 24 may slideupon the pillar 1, to permit the bridge to expand and to contract.However, since the flanges 28 are engaged beneath one of the members 4,the bridgecannot be washed away, as will 1 be appreciated readily whenthe manner of connectingv the bridge with the members 24 is more clearlyunderstood.

In the arm 25 of each clamping member a plurality of openings 29 areformed, in any of which openings 29 may be engaged the angular end 31 ofa bolt 30 which passes through the flange 26. Nuts 32 are mounted uponthe threaded ends of the bolts 30, the nuts 32 bearing against the outerfaces of auxiliary clamp plates 33 through which the bolts 30 pass. Theshoe 2 is bound between the flanges 26 and the auxiliary clamp plate 33,by the action of the nuts 32.

It will be seen from the foregoing that, although an expansion in thebridge is provided for, due to the slidable mounting of theclamps 24,the bridge cannot be washed down stream, because the flanges 28 arehooked beneath one of the members 4. As a further means for holding thebridge in place, a stop plate 34 may be secured to the upper face of thepillar 1, the stop plate being adapted to bear against the downstreamside of the shoe 2, as is most clearly shown in Fig. 3.

At times it is desirable to dispose the bridge shoe 2 close totheup-stream face of the pillar 1, and under such circumstances, thelaterally projecting arm 25 of the member 24 is undesirable. To meetthis demand, the member 35, shown in Fig. 7, may be employed, the member35 having at its lower end a flange 36 adapted to hook beneath one ofthebars 4, the member including an upright arm 37 adapted to lie along theupstream, side face of the pillar 1, there being an opening 38 in thearm 37, through which opening the bolt 30 may be passed. At this pointit may be stated that it is within the scope of the invention to fashionthe arm 25 as shown in Fig. 8, so as to permit a nut to be threaded uponthe end 31 of the bolt 30.

Generally considered, the device herein disclosed affords a convenientand inexpensive means for connecting a bridge with a supportingstructure, in such a manner that the bridge cannot be washed away, intime of freshet, the expansion and contraction of the bridge being in nowise interfered with.

It will be seen, referring particularly to Fig. 1, that the frame whichincludes the members 3 and 4 serves to surround the pillar or pier andto prevent the same from splitting at its top.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is 1. Mechanism foranchoring a bridge, comprising an expansible frame adapted to be clampedabout a sub-structure; a slidably mounted member having an angularextension engaged beneath a portion of the frame; and means forconnecting said member with a portion of a bridge.

2. Mechanism for anchoring a bridge, comprising an expansible frameadapted to be clamped about a sub-structure; a slidably mounted memberhaving a projection engaged beneath a portion of the frame; an auxiliaryclamp; and means for connecting the clamp with said member to engagebetween them, a portion of a bridge.

3. Mechanism for anchoring a bridge, comprising a frame includingangularly disposed members; a securing element connecting the members; aspacing plate interposed between the ends of the members and having aneye surrounding the securing element; and bridge-engaging means slidableupon one of said members and having an element engaging said memberagainst withdrawal.

4. Mechanism for anchoring a bridge, comprising a frame includingangular-1y disposed members; one of which is provided with a projectinghead; a securing element engaged with the head and with the end of anadjoining member; a spacing plate interposed between the head and theend of the adjoining member, the spacing plate having an eye surroundingthe securing element;

6. Mechanism for anchoring a bridge,v

comprising a frame including angularly disposed members; securingelements connecting the members; plates interposed between said membersand having eyes engaging the securing elements; certain of the membershaving movement independently of the plates to permit the said membersto grip a sub-structure, others of the members being'engageable by theplates to space one of said other members from the sub-structure; andbridge-holding means slidably engaged with that member which is spacedfrom the sub-structure.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I as my own, I have heretoaflixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

COLEMAN WALLACE ABERNETHY.

Witnesses:

J. F. Ho nYoU'r'r, J. B. MoALLrsTnR.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G.

